Actress Karen Black passed away today of cancer. She was 74.

Black made her screen debut in 1966 in Francis Ford Coppola’s You’re a Big Boy Now. She attained stardom by appearing in a triumvirate of films with Jack Nicholson – Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces & Drive, He Said (which was Nicholson’s directorial debut). Black received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance in Five Easy Pieces.

Black also appeared in such 70’s classics as The Great Gatsby, Airport 1975, John Schlesinger’s The Day of the Locust, Robert Altman’s Nashville and Alfred Hitchcock’s last movie Family Plot. She would continue to act to end of her life, but would not receive the same kind of roles or appear in the same calibre of film.

I leave you with footage of Black singing a rousing rendition of “Lazy Afternoon”.